Women's Soccer News & Highlights

November 04, 2012

Overtime Goal Undoes Quest for Repeat

DALLAS, Pa.- Eastern University Women's Soccer saw its bid to repeat
as Freedom Conference Champions end in the 92nd minute in the Freedom
Championship Match against No. 13 Misericordia University. The Cougars
scored an own goal off a short corner for a 1-0 win.

The match, a
rematch of last year's final, saw both teams have times of possession
and field position throughout the match. With the wind behind them in
the opening period, the Cougars released several shots from outside the
box, but Alysia Goodman was on the spot for ten first half saves.
Goodman's only stunner of the half came just after the midway point of
the period when Misericordia senior Laura Roney got in behind the
Eastern defense on a flicked ball. Goodman leaned left, and Roney shot
the other way. Somehow, Goodman was able to shoot a leg to the ball and
kick it from danger. The senior goalkeeper finished with 13 saves and was impressive in managing her box throughout the day.

Ashley Graybill curled a free kick from 25
yards out over the wall, but it curled just wide of the left upright.
Shortly after, the Eagles had a chance on a corner but Emily Roquemore's shot deflected wide.

Eastern's
final chance of the half came with just over four minutes to play on a
breakaway chance for Victoria Graham down the left wing. With defenders
closing, the first-year forward's shot drifted just left of the upright

The
second half saw the Eagles grab even a little more possession against
the top-seeded Cougars. Early in the period Goodman came forward for a
free kick and put a dipping-shot just over the crossbar.

Kelsey
Doutrich and Amy Thomas each had chances, but the Cougar back line came
to play as well. The Eagles had a great chance midway through the period
on a ball Cara Dembrosky served into the box that Maureen Ciccosanti
bobbled momentarily. The Freedom Rookie of the Year reacted quickly and
was able to smother the ball just before the Eastern forwards reached
it.

"We needed a bounce to go our way on one of those," Eastern
Head Coach Dan Mouw said of the game, "in a tight game, you need a break
sometimes. Today it did not happen for us. In many respects, it was the
best we have played this year. Sure we had some hiccups, but our back
line was tremendous in organization and effort, and I thought we did
some really good stuff getting into dangerous areas of the field."

The
Cougars earned a corner kick shortly into the first overtime period,
and they played a short corner quickly. After working her way infield,
Nicolette Hensel served a ball across the face of the goal that glanced
off an Eastern defender and into the goal.

"Credit to them for
making the play," Mouw concluded, "We look to try and get that all the
time when we get corners. We were very concerned with picking up
Helmstetter and Roney, and we lost track for just a second and she
served a ball into a dangerous area. They made their break happen."

The
overtime game was the second in three days for the Eagles.
Misericordia's corner kick came after the Eagles had the first chance of
overtime with a ball pushed deep into the Cougar end.

With the
Freedom Conference Championship, the Cougars (17-2-1) advance to the
NCAA Tournament. The Eagles will miss the NCAA Tournament for just the
second time in the last six years.

"We did so much well today,"
Mouw concluded, "We had great back line play, and Ashley Graybill was
amazing. She probably should not have played with the broken nose, but I
think she probably would have played with a broken leg. Her toughness
in the middle of the field was inspirational for the whole team. This is a great group of seniors that will be missed."